Law Suspended For Final Game

FOXBORO, Mass. — If the Patriots are going to finish an otherwise horrid season with a flourish Sunday by beating the Dolphins, they'll have to do it without their best cornerback, Ty Law.

Coach Bill Belichick announced Wednesday that Law has been suspended for Sunday's season finale. Law was fined $700 Monday by U.S. customs officials when they searched the car he was in and discovered seven capsules -- four crushed -- of the illegal drug known as ecstasy.

Besides denying he has ever used illegal drugs, Law said Tuesday that the drugs found in his luggage were not his and that he had no idea they were there. He said the drugs were discovered in a bag that belonged to a relative who had stayed at his house. Law said that in his rush to pack for the trip to Buffalo, he had grabbed the relative's bag and thrown in his own stuff.

Law, who came to Patriots headquarters Tuesday, the players' day off, to give his version of events -- he did not answer questions -- was not available in the locker room Wednesday.

The incident, which took place at about 5:30 a.m. Monday at the U.S.-Canada border crossing in Niagara Falls, caused Law to miss the 6:25 a.m. Buffalo to Boston flight he was trying to make so he could be at Patriots headquarters for a mandatory 1 p.m. team meeting. Law and teammates Terry Glenn and Troy Brown received permission not to fly back on the team's Sunday night charter because of bad weather, but Belichick warned them to be back in time for Monday's meeting.

But Law, Glenn and Brown, who were at a strip club in Buffalo's Canadian suburbs in the wee hours of Monday morning, were late for the meeting. In the past, the fine for missing a team meeting has been about $3,000. For Law, Glenn and Brown, all of whom make more than $2 million a year, such a fine would be a pittance.

Brown, who is almost always available, was not Wednesday. Neither was Glenn.

Belichick, who met Tuesday with Law, Brown, and Glenn, was courteous Wednesday. But in terms of information, he was a closed book.

Other than to announce that Law had been suspended for Sunday's game, Belichick declined to say anything about any other punishment the trio will receive.

``It's a team discipline rule,'' Belichick said, when asked if Law was being suspended because of the illegal drugs. ``It's not anything I feel I can discuss.''

What about Glenn and Brown? Would the wide receivers be benched for all or part of Sunday's game?

``I don't have any plans to discuss any lineup changes,'' Belichick said.

What would he discuss? Football.

``That's a good question,'' Belichick said several times, ``one I'll pass on [answering].''

When Belichick left the press conference dominated by questions about Law, a press conference in which there had been many questions and few answers, Dolphins publicist Harvey Greene, who had been waiting in the wings, said jokingly, ``Is there a game this week? I came here four years ago and it was Drew Bledsoe and the mosh pit incident. Two years ago, [the Patriots] were moving to Hartford.''

Now, the Patriots are moving to the end of a forgettable season, which, until now, had been notable for the lack of negative off-field incidents.

Obviously coached on what to say as well as how to play, most Patriots players said the Law incident would not be a distraction and that they were all focusing on beating Miami.

``It's hard to deal with this stuff,'' Bledsoe said. ``But ultimately, I don't think we're different from any other team.''

Patriots get Stevens: The Patriots claimed safety Matt Stevens off waivers. He led the Redskins in interceptions last season but was cut Monday, two days after missing a tackle on a punt return in a loss to the Steelers. The Patriots also promoted fullback Jeff Paulk from the practice squad.